Trace Decay In Catawba's Godspell

Imagine you are teaching a class; physics, for instance. Most of the class seems to be doing well and understanding the material, but in the back of the class, there seem to be a handful of students who have no idea what’s going on and no grasp of the material. How do you catch them up and ensure they remember the material? This is the exact problem that I have come across while choreographing Catawba’s main stage musical, Godspell. Before this process began, I asked the members of the cast if any of them considered themselves dancers. No one raised their hand. I then asked if any of them considered themselves actors who move. About half of the group raised their hand. Finally, I asked if any of them believed that they could pick up choreography

According to this sensation, it may seem that memories fade and decay. The Trace Decay Theory of Forgetting, first coined by Edward Thorndike in his book The Psychology of Learning (1914), assumes that memories leave a trace in the brain. A trace is defined as “some sort of physical and/or chemical change in the nervous system.” (McLeod n.p). In terms of short-term memory (STM), there are three ways in which memories fade: decay, displacement, and interference. Decay occurs when information is not “rehearsed” or contemplated. Displacement occurs when old memories are replaced by new memories. Interference can be proactive or retroactive. Proactive interference occurs when old memories interfere with new ones, while retroactive interference occurs when new information distorts previously existing memories. Long term memory (LTM) is limitless in capacity and length of accessible time. Interference is largely accredited for the loss and forgetting of long-term memories. If we take this information to be true, the choreography should stay in the brain, even though it may not be there when the time comes for an immediate